Travel-World Photography
Itaipu is located close to the Iguaçu Water Falls, but gets all the enormous amounts of water from Rio Paraguay.
The Itaipu Dam is a hydroelectric dam located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. It is the third largest hydroelectric dam in the world, and holds the 45th largest water reservoir in the world. It is fed from the Paraná river, having it watershed in the Mato Grosso area in the Patanal region. While the Iguacu Water Falls are immensely impressive, the amount of water through the Itaipu Power Station is 40 times greater.
The power station has 20 electric generators (2 always on standby for repairs), each delivering 700 MW, and 750 MW when the water level is high. In the middle of the generator hall, a yellow line is painted on the floor, denoting the international border between Brazil and Paraguay. Most of the power in Paraguay is exported to Brazil, after motor-generators are transforming the 50 cycle to 60 cycle in Brazil.
